Nigeria ranks second in the world, after China and India, in terms of percentage of its population without access to clean cooking solutions. As a result, most Nigerians have turned to firewood for cooking, heating, and various family chores to be able to cope. with the country’s harsh economic conditions. Sadly, a significant number of Nigerian women suffer from fitness disorders caused by prolonged exposure to wood smoke, and the World Health Organization estimates that more than 98,000 deaths each year are attributed to this source.
In Maiyama, a rural village in Nigeria’s northeastern Kebbi state, Rukayya Adamu starts her day by collecting firewood from a nearby bush. He does this not only for his family, but also to generate a source of income by promoting some of the wood.
Rukayya is just one of 150 million Nigerians living in rural communities who rely heavily on wood, charcoal and other environmentally destructive biomass for their culinary needs.
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been severe, especially for women living in rural Nigeria.
Many have been forced to engage in activities that pose significant environmental threats, such as selling firewood, just to make ends meet. Unfortunately, the compelling desire to put food on the table overshadows considerations about the adverse effects of climate change.
Nigeria ranks second in the world, after China and India, in terms of percentage of its population without access to clean cooking solutions. As a result, most Nigerians have turned to firewood for cooking, heating, and various family chores to be able to cope. with the country’s harsh economic conditions. Sadly, a significant number of Nigerian women suffer from fitness disorders caused by prolonged exposure to wood smoke, and the World Health Organization estimates that more than 98,000 deaths each year are attributed to this source.
Despite Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017, the country still faces an alarming number of women and youth facing physical disorders due to constant exposure to firewood and charcoal. Additionally, the environmental impact of deforestation and the source of firewood from rainforests cannot be overlooked, in addition to national parks that are home to endangered species such as monkeys, elephants and big cats.
For Rukayya, the lack of basic education or life skills that would allow her to earn a sustainable living led her to take up the firewood trade.
“I started this firewood business because it was the only thing I could do. I didn’t have the skills or the money to do other businesses, so I started buying firewood in gigantic quantities for cooking and, at the same time, selling it to homes. ” says Rukayya.
However, Rukaya discovered hope and opportunity when Maiyama was brought in by the Nigeria Women’s Project (NFWP), a World Bank-funded initiative aimed at improving the livelihoods of women in selected Nigerian states. Women over the age of 18 are organized into Women’s Affinity Groups (WAGs), where they are trained to pool their resources and save for long-term needs. The budget is then made available to members of the organization in the form of loans to expand their existing businesses or launch new businesses. So far, the effort has impacted the lives of more than 400,000 women in six Nigerian states and provided more than $17 million in business grants.
Rukayya recalls her experience: “I was still promoting firewood when I joined my group. One day of our training, our community facilitator explained to me the risks of using firewood and how it threatens our well-being. Saving diligently within the group, he eventually received a loan that allowed him to explore other business opportunities.
Pressured to abandon the firewood trade, she borrowed 12,000 naira from her WAG and invested it in the purchase of a bag of soybeans. Soon after, it expanded its supply to include tiger nuts. ” Through the NFWP, I discovered cutting-edge businesses that are sustainable. livelihoods,” he says.
The NFWP not only encourages women to save and make informed business decisions, but it also complements their talents through a diversity of educational sessions covering money education, gender dynamics, life skills, and business skills. These education systems have had a positive ripple effect, resulting in increased monetary planning, better pricing strategies, and diligent record-keeping, all of which have particularly boosted their business and increased their revenue.
Rukayya, now able to keep meticulous records and expand budgets and effective business strategies, exclaims, “Our ward facilitator taught us how to save wisely because we used to manage our finances blindly, spending our income, without contemplating the long-term sustainability of our business ventures.
In a world committed to fighting climate change, rural women like Rukayya have the potential to be catalysts for positive change within their communities and the wider environment. The empowerment and wisdom gained through projects like the NFWP can pave the way for sustainable business. better livelihoods and a more environmentally conscious society.
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